Gauteng man charged after dog shot three times

A 68-year-old man from Lammermoor, Gauteng, has been charged with animal cruelty after a dog was shot three times.

Randburg SPCA officials were called after the shooting and the head of inspectorate, Shiven Bodasing, found that two dogs were involved in a fight on Saturday.

The man is alleged to have heard the dogs outside his property and fired three shots at a female pitbull.

“It was not reasonable nor necessary to resort to shooting of the animal. There was no attempt made to separate the animals. There were people all around him, he is not entitled to take the law into his own hands.

“The most inexcusable, aggravating fact of this matter is that he discharged a firearm in such a manner to expose other people to immediate danger,” said Bodasing.

The surviving dog was not injured.

Bodasing emphasised that deadly force was not necessary.

“It was so unnecessary to have to shoot the dog. The other dog was not even injured in the fight, so it clearly wasn’t severe enough to warrant the use of a firearm,” said SPCA cadet Bradley Hughes.

Education

The SPCA removed the body of the dog from a shallow grave.

The man was taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty as well as the unlawful discharge of a firearm and malicious damage to property.

Randburg SPCA is intent on fulfilling its mandate to protect the rights of animals and to strive to educate South Africans about abuse.

“There is a huge difference between deliberate, knowing cruelty to animals and the result of poverty and lack of education. Add to that the element of available resources.

“When animal abuse is intentional, we can and do not only officially warn, but we lay criminal charges,” the charity’s website reads.

The National SPCA’s 2019/2020 annual report highlights community outreach as a key pillar in combatting animal cruelty and noted a 10-day campaign in which 472 pets were sterilised and vaccinated.

According to the report, 97 cases of animal abuse are awaiting finalisation through the courts.

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